There are some things I’m adept at on the computer. If I already know what I want to say, I can open up a word processor program and type it out, add some basic formatting, check it over and print it out. I think this is not a terribly amazing skill. But I’ve had several people tell me I do in 30 minutes what would take them hours.
There are times when technology is not the first answer. There are times when reaching for a computer or tablet or phone will hinder the creative process.
Reaching for a computer, tablet, or phone first will also make it easier to focus on the “how?” instead of more important questions like “why?” Also, “What’s my goal?” And, “Do I even know my goal?”
This is also not a new problem. Over 20 years ago I took a college technical drawing class. The first half of the class (much to my classmates’ annoyance) was sketching by hand. The professor explained they had heard from multiple recruiters about the lack of non-computer-aided sketching skills. More specifically, it really interrupts a brainstorming session if instead of reaching for a napkin or piece of paper to sketch on, the person with the idea says “Hang on, I’ll go to my computer and . . . “
Dan Roam’s book The Back of the Napkin – Solving Problems and Selling Ideas with Pictures, Expanded Edition was published all the way back in 2009. (ISBN 978-1-59184-306-1) Again, this is not a new problem.